Category archives: Science

The Pioneer plaques are a pair of gold–anodized aluminium plaques which were placed on board the 1972 Pioneer 10 and 1973 Pioneer 11 spacecraft, featuring a pictorial message, in case either Pioneer 10 or 11 is intercepted by extraterrestrial life. The plaques show the nude figures of a human male and female along with several […]

Every organism, from virus to animals need nitrogen (N) to live; indeed, nucleic acids and proteins are made out with N. Nearly all of these organisms, fulfill their nitrogen needs taken up N from the environment in reduced forms, usually as nitrate (NO 3 – ), ammonium (NH 4 + ) or amino acids. Interestingly […]

Antimicrobial resistance is a complex problem that contributes to health and economic losses worldwide. Resistance to antimicrobial therapies reduces the effectiveness of current drugs, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditure. Because globalization increases the vulnerability of any country to diseases occurring in other countries, resistance presents a major threat to global public […]

In September 2015 a new scientific field was born. Two colossal experiment confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, measuring the ripple of space-time induced by two very distant black holes merging in a cataclysmic display of gravity waves and radiation . Gravitational wave astronomy was born then, much like neutrino astronomy was born with the […]

Diabetes is a disease typically associated with old age, especially when speaking of type 2, characterized for insulin resistance, and associated with obesity and therefore, more likely to occur in old age. A recent couple of papers published in Cell and Science Translational Medicine point to the healing potential of a fasting-mimicking diet for resetting […]

Graphene is one of the most promising materials for nanoelectronics owing to its unique Dirac cone-like dispersion of the electronic state and high mobility of the charge carriers. We all know that already, provided we are a little bit interested in condensed matter physics. But the point is that, in order to facilitate the implementation […]

A key aspect of our effort to overcome autism is to get a quick, reliable and early diagnosis. Typical signs such as difficulty in making eye contact or following the mother’s pointing gesture are usually observed after the age of two years and we also have the problem of the natural variability that exists in […]

15% of human cancers worldwide may be attributed to viruses, 1 with both DNA and RNA viruses being capable of causing the disease. Epstein-Barr virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis B virus, and human herpes virus-8 are the four DNA viruses capable of causing the development of human cancer, whereas human T lymphotrophic virus type 1 […]

Behind the symmetrical shell of humans and vertebrates lies a profound asymmetry. Our bilaterality breaks down inside our body. Not only our viscera are organized asymmetrically. Also our brain and nervous system, whose general appearance seems symmetrical, present lateralized structure and functioning. Among cognitive systems for example, language, attention, emotional processing, working memory and executive […]

How would you measure the dynamic viscosity of cytosol, the liquid inside the cells, without destroying the cell? It seems not an easy task. However, a team of researchers that includes Nuno de Sousa (DIPC & IFIMAC), has just provided a way of achieving this and other similar feats using upconverting particles. An optical trap […]